Flipping the classroom

Standard: 4. Interpret and compute quotients of fractions, and solve word problems involving division of fractions, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem. [6-NS1]

Students:

This week we have been talking about multiplying fractions. Tomorrow we will be talking about dividing fractions. To allow us more time in class to practice and ask questions you will be introduced to the lesson in this blog post. Watch the video posted for you and practice on some problems from the website given. Remember our talks on reciprocals as your practice your problems. 

1.View this video and feel free to sing along! 

2. Practice a few of these problems! 

Just try your best, you can ask questions tomorrow during class! 

https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-6/divide-fractions

3. Dividing Fraction search! 

With someone in your house jot down some things in your life that might need to be divided using fractions. Talk with this person about these and go to the padlet below and type your name and the things you talked about. We will view this tomorrow during class.

Make sure to jot down some questions you may still have so that we can address them at the beginning of class. Tomorrow will be a fun day of using real world problems that you may see one day in the future. You do not want to miss math class tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow and jamming out to our new math song! Be ready for a sing along! 

-Ms.Wilson 

Coding and Robotics

 

      Coding much like any tech skill these days is very important to teach our students. Coding is simply the actions that tell computers, robots, and even websites like Facebook what to do and how to run. Our daily life is ran by technology, students need to know how these things work to better improve their lives, but the whole worlds. Students can start with simple tasks to learn the skills of the trade. There are tons of jobs left unfilled every year. These jobs come at a high demand but have few graduates to supply them. Robotics and Coding is a great opportunity for our students to have the skills and interest needed to continue down the path once they start college. Technology isn't going anywhere, our students need to be the front runners of this field. 

  Dash and Dot are one set of robots used for elementary age students. I hadn't heard about Dash and Dot until I entered EED 409, but since then I have seen commercials on television advertising them. These are compatible with a range of devices and are easily used by students. Dash is the move able robot while dot is the stationary robot. These robots are a blue color that is appealing to children and even play games. Thames and Kosmos are actual robots that you build and get to code. This would not only hit robotics and coding but engineering as well. The lego robots we saw in the video is a great one as well. These robots can be used to do a task, like kick a ball, or block the ball from the goal.  

          

       

The Osmo is by far the best thing we saw the last time we met in class. This allowed students to play a word game using their spelling skills but also helps students build patterns. We also saw the portrait kit, which blew me away lets anything you want to draw be at your fingertips. I loved how the video showed the little girl drawing a portrait of her dad. Can you imagine the endless possibilities for that? 

Here are a few in class strategies for the Osmo.

1. Letters- I would love to have this in a center and make a sports bracket of the students. This would be a fun, competitive, and engaging way to use this. Students will play letters against there opponent and the winner moves forward, til there is a ultimate winner. The ultimate winner will get a reward relating to school (quiet reading time, teacher's helper for the day,show and tell). This will be a reusable bracket so we can start a new tournament with the letters every month. 
2. Drawing- This could be used if the students were doing a project on different types of animals. The students could pic a image of their drawing and create a poster that has their animal on it. This could be a tremendous asset to the students who do not have computers or help at home. 
3. Tangrams- These could be used for early finishers to work on. It gets there minds working about which piece goes where and in what position. I do wish that the tangrams were one color. In gifted we played like this but each individual student had a set. The shape she showed us was black and we had to figure out how to make the shape without seeing the colors on the picture.

Here are some apps to help your student start coding:

-Hopscotch: Make games- This is a app that lets you create your own games by coding, and even create graphics for the game. 

-Lightbot One Hour Coding- Introducing kids to coding without any prior knowledge. Was created for "The Hour of Code" in schools. 

-The Foos Coding: Also created for "The Hour of Code' this app is the basics of coding. So easy that anyone from 5-105 can learn how to code. Uses fun games and investigations to engage students. 

-Move the Turtle: Students will become familiar with loops, procedures, variables, and spatial orientation. This also helps the students move the turtle around.

-Robot School: Students will help a robot who has crashed his spaceship get back home using coding.

QR Codes and a Flipped Classroom

         

Technology Talk

      Throughout the education program we have talked about QR Codes and how important they are to our classroom. These codes eliminate lengthy web addresses to sites we want our students to visit with a simple code for the students to scan with a QR code reader. These not only are perfect for students with challenges, but also our class as a whole. This would work great if you are teaching using stations that have web linked content. This would help the stations move more efficiently. 

We all know children like to explore, but the internet is not somewhere we want them to explore freely. QR codes take away from the wandering on search engines and misspelling of web addresses to lead to sites that students do not need to see.  

  Flipped Classroom is a new way of teaching that I myself only heard about last semester in Lit Block. This basically means that the students are given content to view at home then when they come to class they teacher addresses misconceptions and digs deeper into the subject. It also allows students to get the content material at home so they can have more time to work in class on things they might need help with. Flipping the classroom allows the teacher to have more time with the students actually doing the work then teaching and giving the work for homework. You might ask "What if a student doesn't have a device at home?". Flipping the classroom could be modified in those cases. The student can view the content before going home, or even get a print out of what is on the digital tool. Sending them home with a QR code that sends them directly to what they need to do that night is also another great idea.

        

Social Stories

      Social stories are a great technology tool to use in the classroom when you have behavioral issues or need students to know what is going on in the classroom that they might get upset about. Social stories are a great way for students to see desired expectations, be prepared for an event that is about to take place, or reiterating a desired concept. These stories are great for all students, but especially those with ADHD,ADD, and Autism. These students connect well with using the iPads. The iPad and

other digital devices help the student communicate what they want you to know without feeling intimidated by talking to you.  Some students need literal experiences and instruction's instead of vague cues other students might pick up on. These stories are acted out by the student, a script might be provided by the teacher to help the student keep their thoughts focused. Although iPads are great for students on the spectrum we must not let them get to consumed by them. Social Stories can work in the classroom setting or even in your own home. 

Here are some apps that you can use to create your own social stories! 

• Little Bird Tales
• My Story 
• Kid in Story 
• iMovie
• Videolicious 
• Move and Match(Creating daily schedules with images)

Digital Story Telling

Alabama State Technology Education Standard

2.) Publish digital products that communicate curriculum concepts.

Examples: Web pages, videos, podcasts, multimedia presentations

About the Lesson

This lesson was my Social Studies read aloud. My students had just finished up their unit on the Civil War. I used the book "Dadblamed Union Army Cow" by Susan Fletcher for this lesson. This book is on the notable tradebook list, which was a requirement for the lesson. This lesson involved me reading the book, questioning throughout, and then a short writing prompt with sentece stems for the students to answer. They enjoyed the book very much. I chose this app because it allows you to take a picture for your background, so you can see the book. I also chose this app because it was a little more mature for my 6th graders. The project went great and I was very happy that the student could tell the story by using Tellagami. 

Digital Storytelling Reflection

       

 Digital Storytelling Reflection

   Digital Storytelling is allowing students to use pictures, audio, and drawings to tell a story using a digital tool. Digital story telling is a great way for student's to be hands on and creative. This is not only technology but uses all steps of the writing process as well. Student's who tend to be shy in the classroom will open up by using the voice changing audio tools. Apps like these are a great assessment tool to use in the classroom among many other uses. Here is a list of the apps I learned about tonight. 

• My Story
• PicCollage
• Tellagami
• Screen Chomp
• Shadow Puppet 
• Sock Puppets 
• Little Bird Tales 
• Solar System AR Cards 
• Hello Crayons
• Feltboard

Follow my blog to see some of the exciting ways I use these apps in my practicum setting and future classroom! 

Meet the teacher!

Watch this PowToon to get a little background knowledge about myself!

If you have any questions feel free to post in the comments. PowToon is a fun and easy way for students to use technology while presenting to the class.

Kid President Pep Talk

What a pep talk! Wouldn't it be amazing to have this young man in a classroom? Always be positive and ready to learn!